We’re delighted to share that Todd Gifford (Managing Director) and Ben Smith (Head of Consultancy) have successfully passed their exams and are now officially qualified Cyber Essentials Assessors.
What does that mean in practice? Optimising IT is now recognised by IASME as a Cyber Essentials Certification Body. We can assess organisations ourselves and issue Cyber Essentials certificates directly – no third parties, no extra layers, no awkward handovers.
What Is a Cyber Essentials Certification Body?
Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed cyber security scheme, created with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Its job is straightforward – to help organisations protect themselves against the most common cyber threats.
Certification Bodies are organisations accredited by IASME to:
- Assess whether a business meets the Cyber Essentials criteria
- Review self-assessment questionnaires
- Issue official Cyber Essentials certificates
- Provide guidance on the overall certification process
For many businesses, Cyber Essentials has quietly become the entry ticket. Customers ask for it. Supply chains expect it. Even some contracts won’t move forward without it.
It’s widely recognised as the practical baseline for cyber security across UK industry and government.
Todd & Ben – Qualified Cyber Essentials Assessors
We’re proud that both Todd and Ben have completed the required training and examinations to earn their Cyber Essentials Assessor qualifications with IASME.
You can learn more about their experience and roles within Optimising IT here:
This accreditation recognises their expertise in:
- Cyber security fundamentals
- Practical controls required for the Cyber Essentials scheme
- Reviewing and evaluating compliance with Cyber Essentials standards
As qualified Assessors, they are authorised to assess and validate organisations against the Cyber Essentials requirements – supporting businesses to improve their cyber resilience while building confidence in their security practices.
What’s Next?
Now that Optimising IT is officially listed as an IASME Cyber Essentials Certification Body, we can support organisations throughout the full process – from figuring out what’s required, to fixing the gaps, to completing the assessment and issuing certification.
Our approach hasn’t changed. We still care about clarity. We still care about proportion. And we still care about security that works in the real world, not just on paper.
